It seems redundant to build a 280 if you already have a 7mm Rem. Mag. If you are looking for a medium range deer cartridge many smaller calibers with lighter than 140 gn. bullets will do the job quite well. I have many friends that routinely kill Whitetail, Axis, Fallow, and Feral Hogs with 204's and 220 Swifts. I don't think this is nescessarily a good thing to do but with correct bullet placement these small rounds will dramaticly kill a deer out to 300 yds. These guys shoot the aforementioned animals at the neck-skull juncture.

The point is that good bullet placement is what kills animals quickly, with little or no meat loss.

I would build a rifle in 6mm, 25 cal, or a 6.5. There are many medium cartridges in these calibers like a 243 Win., 257 Roberts, 25-06, 260 Rem., add infinitum.

These smaller cartridges will be more fun to shoot than a 280. They will kick less, wich will help you practice more. You can spend muzzle brake money on some reloading equipment and then really have some fun.

I have rifles in dozens of deer cartridges, but always seem to shoot them with a 270.
The deer would not know the difference, and I would not know the difference if I shot them with one of my many 7x57mm's or my many 7mmRemMag rifles.

I think I am going to start hunting with more than one rifle:
a) Super heavy to shoot from the truck
b) medium heavy to carry for that half hour before sunrise shot
c) Super light for climbing that mountain.

A lot of good advice and things to consider! I agree with the post that said why build a .280 when you already have a 7 mag. I would also agree that a 25-06 would be an excellent choice for what you are attempting to do. Availability, flat shooting, low recoil, and plenty of pop for deer at extended ranges. I shot one from 1970 (a year after Remington came out with it in the 700) until the mid 80's and killed numerous deer in Mi., where I grew up, as well as deer, black bear, and even elk in Id. Of all the animals I shot with it, I can rember two deer that went approx 20-30 yds. after they were hit. The rest went straight down. probably 40-50 animals total. I still shoot that same old 700 and am on my third barrel (a 6.5 Sherman now) and the game it has killed would fill a semi. Good luck with your project......Rich

Sart reloading. I have a 7mm rm and when I started reloading it opened up alot of options. In the latest handloader mag ther are some light loads with trailboss powder. They are great with hornady's 154 gr round nose for brush busters. The 280 is nice but don't buy extra if you don't need it. The RM has been and will allways be a great long distance round. Sence its inception in 1962 with Remington's model 700 it has won its fare share of compitions, and taken the world of hunting because of its versitility. All of the new 7mm mags on the market are great guns but they won't do any thing that the 7mm Rem Mag won't do also. Happy shooting.

Of all the dumbed down loads in all the load books, there is no greater tragedy than the current publications with 7mmRemMag published max loads that can be beat with a 7x57mm handloaded to the max load for long brass life.

What does it all mean?
The 7mmRemMag published load are dumbed down further than other cartridges.

You already have a 7mag, and a 308, etc. If it were me Id go with something simple with a ready supply of bullet wt's for different tasks. Why not the good ol' 30-06? 220gr big uglies down to the tiny 55gr accelerators. Same standard long action bolt face, you can find and buy bullets ANYWHERE, and its a very versitile light recioling ''do all round''. Besides everybody needs an -06 in thier collection, its kinda like a 30-30, you dont realy know why you need one, you just do, to round out the collection
Nothin at all wrong with the 280 either, but you open the door to so many more bullet wt's with a 30 cal. And for a factory ammo shooter, youd be very hard pressed to find something as versitile.
Good luck